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User blog:Reaper with no name/The Isolation of Stacker Pentecost
Today's blog post will be about the man who holds the PPDC together through nothing but the sheer force of his own charisma, Marshall Stacker Pentecost. His subplot of isolation may be easy to miss, but it is no less worthy of analysis. More than any other character in the movie, Stacker demonstrates power. As he explains, he is the "fixed point" for everyone at the PPDC. When he speaks, other characters fall silent. In only a few sentences, Pentecost is able to convince Raleigh to come back despite the death of Yancy still weighing heavily on his mind. When Slattern flexes its muscles, Stacker stands firm. From the beginning of the Jaeger Program to its end (and beyond), Stacker is there. Even Raleigh (who strenuously disagrees with some of his calls) is depicted as being ultimately subservient to Pentecost. Is it really any wonder that a man like this would be one of the only two people capable of piloting a Jaeger alone? However, for all of Pentecost's personal might, he is also fundamentally alone. From the Year Zero comic, we know that Stacker lost his father at an early age, and then his sister during K-Day. As if that wasn't bad enough, he also became separated from his co-pilot and close friend Tamsin Sevier after the two were forced to retire due to cancer (which she later died from). Stacker is never depicted as fraternizing with the men and women under his command. He is always in the "commander" mode. Despite all the respect they have for him, his underlings don't actually seem to know very much about him. There are only two people in the movie that he is presented as having a close relationship with. One of them is Hercules Hansen. Notice, however, that we never see the two of them having any private conversations (with the exception of right before the Raleigh-Chuck fistfight, which we technically don't get to actually see). The two of them are both always depicted together in an official capacity, indicating a relationship built primarily on mutual respect rather than emotional closeness. The second person that Stacker is shown to be close to is of course Mako (whom, in hindsight, he probably adopted because she was in the same situation of isolation as he). However, note how cold and formal their relationship is. Part of this is no doubt due to the fact that Japanese relationships tend to be formal in general. However, it is also much more than that. Mako refers to him as "sir" when he chooses to ground her (even though he raised her). Pentecost's behavior towards her is also quite cold (occasionally referring to her as "Miss Mori", rather than just "Mako"). In other words, Stacker seals himself off from everyone, including those he is closest to, because he has lost so much already. Despite a fiery temper beneath the surface ("Do not let my calm demeanor fool you ranger!"), he maintains as much as possible a facade of being cool and collected. This defense mechanism of keeping distance between himself and others heavily influences Pentecost's behavior throughout the film. Consider, for example, his response to the disaster at Anchorage in the film's beginning. He turns and walks away. Stacker deals with the emotional trauma of what has happened to Yancy and Raleigh by literally and psychologically distancing himself from it. Another example can be seen later when Raleigh asks him how he plans to get through the Breach (when it was impossible before). Stacker refuses to reveal the theory behind the plan. However, there wasn't any narrative reason why he couldn't tell Raleigh (indeed, we find out the details in short order). And yet, he still chooses to keep it from Raleigh. He is so isolated that he feels the need to hide things that don't even need to be hidden. Stacker even tries to keep hidden the few emotional connections he does possess. He repeatedly finds excuses to keep Mako out of combat for the sake of protecting her. And when Raleigh gets too close to the truth, he flees. When Raleigh gives chase, he reacts in a strongly negative way to a mere touch (the most basic act of closeness)! As if that wasn't enough, he then rejects outright any form of relationship with Raleigh at all ("You don't know who the hell I am or where I'm from and I am not about to tell you my life story")! Ultimately, however, remaining alone doesn't protect Stacker from his problems or help him at all. Just like we saw with the Anti-Kaiju Wall, isolating oneself doesn't solve anything. We become stronger through our connections to others, and Stacker is no exception. It is only when his own internal weakness (symbolized by his cancer) is accidentally revealed to the world and Raleigh confronts him about it that Pentecost finally breaks down the wall and opens up. Not coincidentally, immediately afterward his behavior changes significantly. He gives that famous speech full of hope and camaraderie ("Today we have chosen not only to believe in ourselves but in each other. Today there's not a man nor woman in here who shall stand alone"). He instantly becomes much warmer towards Mako ("I'm so proud to have watched you grow"). He even successfully drifts with Chuck Hansen and affirms just how deep his respect for Herc is at the same time ("But you are your father's son, so we'll drift just fine"). With this newfound openness, Stacker proves to be every bit the exceptional pilot we had been led to believe (cancer or no cancer). Despite Slattern's obvious physical superiority (which he proved in the'' first blow''), Pentecost not only stays alive but even gains the upper hand. And when he finally opts for the heroic sacrifice, what does he tell Mako? "You can always find me in the drift!" These words hold an important lesson. When we lose someone, it doesn't mean that we have to close ourselves off from them (or the world, for that matter), because they aren't truly gone. As long as we stay connected to the world and our fond memories of them, they will never'' ''truly leave us. Category:Blog posts